On the anniversary of Ruben Amorim’s first match as head coach, Manchester United suffered defeat at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s five-match unbeaten streak was brought to an end with Everton winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
The Red Devils looked well off the pace after returning from the November international break and were made to pay for their lack of urgency.
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United played much of the match against 10 men too. Idrissa Gueye was sent off in bizarre fashion for striking his own teammate Michael Keane. Despite the man advantage, United fell to defeat.
Red card incident Man Utd vs Everton
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Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images Joshua Zirkzee lets opportunity slip
With Benjamin Sesko injured for a month and Matheus Cunha out with a knock, Ruben Amorim had to rethink his attacking line-up against Everton.
Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with an exit due to his lack of minutes this season, but United’s injuries meant he finally got his chance to start.
However, the 24-year-old looked rusty up front and failed to make the most of the opportunity. Amorim needed the Dutch striker to step up, but he failed to do so.
Amad Diallo’s position
Amorim’s changed attacking setup included shifting Amad Diallo away from his right wing-back spot into a No.10 position.
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However, instead of just being pushed up the right flank, he was moved over to the left to accommodate for Bryan Mbeumo.
Amad showed some glimpses of promise, but United’s attack lacked balance. It was the first thing Amorim changed at half-time, and it is likely an experiment he won’t try again.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesLisandro Martinez is back
Lisandro Martinez spent the break in Argentina training with his national team ready for his long-awaited United return.
In the build-up to the Everton clash, Amorim revealed that Martinez was ‘close’ to making a return, and he was named on the bench to face the Toffees.
With a hectic winter fixture schedule on the horizon, United’s World Cup-winning star should provide a big boost to Amorim’s options.
Back three concerns
United fans have had a full year now to learn that Amorim does not change his shape at United. Since that very first match against Ipswich Town, Amorim has stuck to his 3-4-2-1 setup.
Amorim’s stubborn approach has often attracted criticism, and sticking to a rigid back three against 10 men at Old Trafford has raised more questions.
Gary Neville was crying out on commentary for Luke Shaw to be more adventurous and overlap from his left centre-back position, but it rarely happened on a night when United were chasing the match.
Frustrating finishing
United have underperformed their expected goals all season, and unfortunately, that trend continued against Everton.
A glance at the match stats paints the picture. Everton only took three shots and scored with their only effort on target.
In contrast, United took a staggering 20 shots but failed to score past Jordan Pickford. The finishing was nowhere near good enough from the Red Devils.